Portable communication products, such as two-way radios, often need to operate in adverse environments and thus require a hermetic seal for submersability. If the seal has an air leak, the integrity of the product will be compromised and water intrusion may occur. Even products that are not expected to be submersible are often expected to operate in blowing rain conditions and as such a reliable seal is needed. Traditional air leakage testing techniques utilize a vacuum to create a pull on the outside of the product and measure the pressure change over time. However, the vacuum test is time consuming and laborious thereby causing delays in the manufacturing process.
Air leaks may also occur once a product has been in use out in the market. It is unlikely that a customer would be aware of the leak until a product failure, such as water intrusion, occurs. It would be beneficial if an air leak could be detected prior to any product failure.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved technique for detecting air leakage in a communication device.